Electric heating elements of the type widely used in electric hot plates and stoves include a resistive heating element enclosed by a shell-like housing. The housing is supported by several arms that, in turn, are supported by a saucer or cup designed to catch debris running down the side of a vessel being heated. Such debris catchers are designed to be easily removed for cleaning.
During heating, the vessel to be heated (e.g., pot) is placed atop the horizontally arrayed heating element housing. Electric power applied to the resistive heating element heats the vessel lying atop the heating element housing. While the purpose of the heating element is to heat the vessel lying on the upper surface of the heating element housing, in addition to radiating upwardly toward the vessel, heat is also radiated downwardly and sidewardly. While, some of the downward and sideward radiated heat ultimately assists in heating the vessel (because heat flows upwardly) some of the downward and sideward radiated heat is lost. For example, part of the heat is lost by the debris collecting cup or saucer (which is usually formed of metal) being heated and conducting part of the heat energy received away from the area underlying the vessel being heated. This invention is directed to avoiding this and other heat losses due to heat radiation away from the vessel to be heated.